Recipe filing cabinets



Dec. 20, 1966 H. PUNZEL 3,292,633

RECIPE FILING CABINETS Filed Nov. 24. 1965 U IIII III')'m I INVENTORHELEN PUNZEL BY 611M 7 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,292,633 RECIPEFILING CABINETS Helen Punzel, 208 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, Wis.53202 Filed Nov. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 509,561 1 Claim. (Cl. 129-43) Thisis a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 363,326, filedApril 20, 1964, now abandoned.

My invention relates to filing cabinets and more particularly to filingcabinets for filing recipe cards or the like.

The object of my invention is to provide a filing cabinet in the form ofa compact unit to accommodate recipes in card from.

Another object of my invention is to provide a filing cabinet thatpermits separating the recipe cards into specific groups, by means ofadjustably supported index members.

Another object of my invention is to provide a filing cabinet that has acover with an overlying snap flange, on the end opposite the hinged end,to securely grasp an outer wall of the cabinet so that the cover isfirmly in place when in the closed position; the snap flange alsoproviding a means which may be grasped by the thumb and forefinger forease of opening.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described that permits any one of the recipe cards to besupported in a convenient manner, for visible observation during use.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a filing cabinetthat is equipped with a hingedly supported cover that is adjustable toan angular position for use.

The device illustrated, described, and claimed herein, provides a singlecompact unit, that supports a plurality of recipe cards which aresorted, arranged, and separated into various specific groups, whilehaving a hingedly supported cover that may be angularly adjusted andsupported for easy access to the interior of the unit and at the sametime conveniently display a recipe card for reading by the user.

The device constituting my invention is simple in construction,economical to manufacture and highly eflicient for the purpose for whichit is intended.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent fromthe following specification and claim when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the entire assembled unit in a closed,or sealed position;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the cabinet with the cover in the closedposition;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the cabinet with the cover removed showinginwardly disposed vertical serrations for supporting laterally disposedindex members;

FIGURE 5 is .a cross-sectional view of the cabinet and also showing thecover raised into an angular display position to display a recipe cardin a convenient position for observation by the user;

FIGURE 6 is a cross section taken along the line 66 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the latch headconstruction of the top of the front panel of the cabinet designed to beengaged by the snap flange on the cover;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a notch provided in the sidepanel of the cabinet which the cover engages when in the open position;

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 99 of FIGURE 4;and

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one of the bottomcorners of the cabinet shown in FIG- URE 5.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe various views.

Referring specifically now to the drawings, the character 10 shows afile cabinet body of rectangular contour, having .a bottom plate 11,having indentions 5 in each corner to provide protruding supports 6 towhich may be secured semi-circular legs 7 of a high friction ma terialsuch as rubber or felt to prevent sliding of the cabinet on the planethat supports it. A pair of side walls 12 and 12, and front and rearvertical plates or sections 13 and 13, respectively, complete the mainelements. The rear section 13 is equipped with hinge brackets 1412,which may be integrally formed therewith for supporting a coverassembly, consisting of a rearward section 15, supported by means of thehinge arms 14 frictionally received in hinge brackets 14:: on the rearcabinet plate 13, and a forward section 16, which is hingedly attachedto the section 15, by means of the hinge 17. Sections 15 and 16 may behingedly attached by a simple pin although preferably it is attached bymeans of a living hinge. The hinge axis is preferable at the uppersurface of the cover. Both of the cover sections 15 and 16 are providedwith downwardly projecting flanges 18, which are adapted to overlay theupper portions of the sides 12 and 12' for the guidance and support ofthe cover. A flange 18' is provided at the front of the box so that aminor portion of the front surface of the front panel 13 is alsooverlain. The cover panel 16 simply rests upon and flange 18 overliesthe upper edge of the front panel 13. Flange 18 has secured thereto tab2 which may be grasped for easy opening of the covering assembly. Therear cover panel 15 is formed so that no depending flange similar to theflange 18' is provided. The axis of hinge 14 is positioned on a level nohigher than that of binge 17, and preferably slightly below the axis ofhinge 17. The flanges 18 are shown beveled at 19, to permit the cover tobe placed in an angular position shown in FIGURE 5. The beveled surfacesof the flanges are so angularly related to the upper surface of theircover sections that they abut against one another to provide a stop forthe hinging action of the cover and limit movement to a position wherethe front section is slightly inclined to the vertical as shown inFIGURE 5. In this position the two cover sections have a generallyinverted V-shaped relation. The upper edges of the side panels 12 and12' have notches 3 formed therein at the position corresponding to theposition of the lower or outer edge of the front cover section 16 whenin the generally upright position as illustrated in FIGURE 5. Thesenotches or indentations may be formed in the upper edges of the sidepanels 12 and 12 so as to receive the flange 18' of the front coverpanel 16 and prevent accidental dislodgment when in the generallyupright position. These notches are preferably of V-shape and are ofsufiicient size so as to receive flange 18 of cover panel 16 asillustrated in FIGURE 8.

The forward section 16 of the cover assembly has flange 18', asheretofore described, with a raised edge 20 in relation to the coverpanel 16. This raised edge 20 provides a retaining ledge for receivingand retaining a recipe card 21, thereby providing support and convenientobservation for a card for a particular or specific recipe beingprepared by the user. edge 20 may be integrally formed with flange 18 ormay comprise a separate element secured to the upper surface of flange18' as by means of glue, solder, etc.

Flange 18' has an L-shaped configuration in cross section so as to forma snap fit with the uppermost edge 4 of front panel 13, this edge 4having a slightly thicker It is at once apparent that raised crosssection than the remainder of the panel 13 as illustrated in FIGURE 7.For reasons of economy it is preferred that the edge 4 be formedintegral with front panel 13, although a separate element secured topanel 13 could be utilized to obtain the snap-action fit with coverpanel 16 when same is in the closed position.

The tab 2 secured to flange 18 serves as a handle for the cover, aturning force applied to the lower edge of the tab, accompanied by arearward pushing force disengaging the snap fit between flange 18' anduppermost section 4 of front panel 13 causing a sliding movement of thefront section rearwardly on the sides 12 and 12'.

Since overlying flange 18' is provided in overlying relation to thefront panel 13, the cover may be opened by gasping tab 2 with the thumband forefinger and exerting a pushing force directly upwardly and thentoward the rear of the cover in which case the cover moves naturally tothe angular upright disposition. The cover is opened to a point justbeyond notches 3 in side panels 12 and 12' and flange 18' allowed tonest in notches 3 to hold the cover in the open position.

The vertical side walls 12 and 12', are equipped with internal verticalspaced ribs 23 to form channels or grooves shown at 22, to accommodateand guide the card memebrs 21. Ribs or channels 23 may be constructed ofrigid or semi-rigid sheet material such as metal, plastic or cardboardand separately secured to the inside surface of side panels 12 and 12.However, it is preferred that they be formed unitarily with the sidepanels 12 and 12' as by machining or molding. The ribs 23 extend fromthe approximate bottom 11 of the cabinet, and in the preferredembodiment, terminate at a point distant from the top of the cabinethaving a sloping upper surface with respect to the side panels asdepicted in FIGURE 3 to permit ready access to the index cards theylaterally support. The cards 21 are preferably of a smaller width thanthe inside dimensions of cabinet 10, so that the cards are convenientlyremoved. Index members (not shown) of a greater height than the cards 21may be conveniently positioned so as to separate the cards into groupsor categories under any one index card. The entire group of cards thusseparated may be withdrawn and positioned on raised edge 20 for study bythe user.

From the above description, it will become apparent that a deviceconstituting my invention, consists of a compact unit in which recipecards may be stored. It also provides a means of separating the cardsinto various groups or categories that are identified by the indexmembers, which members slidably engage the channels or serrations on theinner surface of the side members forming an integral part of the file.These index members may have upwardly extending tabs arranged in anyconventional manner to accommodate identification means.

When the device is in use, the sectional hinged cover may be moved tothe angular position, such as is shown 11 FIGURE 5, as by manipulationof the cover by tab 2.v

Flange 18 in conjunction with edge 20 then serves as a edge and any oneof the recipe cards may be disposed within the ledge where it is visibleat all times while the product described on the recipe card is beingprepared. For access to the rearward portion of the cabinet, the :ntirecover may be rearwardly moved, as by manipulaion of the flange 18' pastthe notches 3 or the position ihOWIl in FIGURE 5.

It is preferred to make the article from molded plastic uch aspolypropylene. The two sections 15 and 16 may hen be unitarily moldedwhile connected by a thin sec- 19 1 tmldesl materiali ge arms 14 may a sbe connected to section 15 by a thin section of molded material. Thesethin sections enable pivotal movement of the two cover sections andpivotal movement of the cover section 15 relative to the rear wall.

Whereas I have shown and described certain operative forms of theinvention, it should be understood that this showning and descriptionshould be taken as illustrative of the invention and that thosemodifications falling within the spirit of the invention are reserved asthey fall wthin the scope of the hereinafter appended claim.

I claim:

A recipe card indexing assembly including a rectangular body defined byside panels, front and rear panels and a bottom panel, the inner facesof said side panels having a plurality of evenly spaced projectionsthereon to define a plurality of evenly spaced and upwardly open slotsadapted to receive a plurality of cards to be positioned within saidbody whereby opposite ends of each card being positioned is disposedwithin opposed seats on opposite side panels; a sectional cover hingedto the rear panel and movable over the upper portion of said body, saidcover being comprised of hinged sections, one of said section beingadapted to overlie the rear portion of said body in the closed positionof said cover and the other section being adapted to overlie the forwardportion of said body in the closed position of said cover, said sectionsbeing hinged together to enable an upstanding inverted generallyV-shaped disposition of said sections with the forward edge of theforward section resting in notches hereinafter defined in said sidepanels intermediate the ends thereof; each cover sectionhavingdownwardly extending lateral flanges at the sides thereof and overlyingthe sides of the body in the closed position, said lateral flangeshaving beveled surfaces adjacent the hinge axis of said sections, saidbeveled surfaces abutting against one another and limiting movement ofsaid section to said V- shaped disposition thereof when said cover ismoved to said disposition while thereby exposing a substantial area ofsaid body; said front cover section resting on the upper portion of saidfront panel and having a downwardly extending front flange overlyingsaid front panel, said front flange having a projection thereon exendingabove the plane of said cover section to thereby form a ledge adapted toreceive at least one card to be confined within said body, said frontflange also having a tab thereon whereby said cover sections may haveexerted thereto a push-pull force, said front flange and the uppermostedge of said front panel each having a configuration to engage eachother in snap-action relationship; said side panels having notches inthe upper edges thereof so as to receive and hold the front flange ofthe front cover section with the portions of the lateral flanges outsidethe side panels of the box.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 993,330 5/1911Walker 129-43 1,221,631 4/1917 Trout 129l6 1,441,273 l/l923 Fuller129-43 1,729,126 9/ 1929 Reimel' 12943 1,796,055 3/1931 Shotwell 129--16FOREIGN PATENTS 357 1909 Great Britain. 437,700 1 l/ 1935 Great Britain.

248,813 3/1948 Switzerland.

JEROME SQI-INALL, Primary Examiner.

